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Once smoking has become a habit, vaporizing might not seem the most attractive way to administer herbs such as cannabis, wild dagga, blue lotus or damiana. Perhaps you can't picture yourself inhaling through a plastic tube or balloon, connected to some pricey electrical device. But, once tried it's hard to deny the benefits. We listed nine plusses vaporizing has when you compare it to smoking.

No more smelly ashtrays, sticky pipe heads, clogged bongs or stained fingers and teeth. After being vaporized, the herb remains as a brown, odorless powder that can easily be disposed of.

No smoke in your room or building. Directly after exhaling the aromatic vapor can be smelled by someone sitting nearby, but it doesn't travel far, and doesn't hang around for long. It certainly won't make anyone cough or experience any of the other common side effects of "secondary smoke". The smell doesn't get into anyone's clothes, car upholstery or furniture.

Vaporizing is much more efficient than smoking. You need less herb for an equally powerful effect. And because vapor doesn't irritate the lungs, you can keep it inside for longer, thus facilitating the absorption of more of its active components. Many vaporizers will only heat the herb as you inhale, so nothing goes "up in smoke" between puffs.

Vaporizing is much healthier than smoking. Not just for the throat and lungs but for the entire body. Tar, toxic gasses, radioactive particles and numerous free radicals are all absent or significantly reduced, depending on the quality of the vaporizer.

Easy to dose. Medical marijuana is best dosed when vaporized or smoked: simply inhale until you've reached the desired level of relief. A tea or a tablet does not give immediate effects and so the dose may turn out to be too high or too low. Vaporizing gives the immediate effect that smoking gives you, but without the negative side effects of the smoke itself.

Less chance of getting caught (in the case of vaporizing illegal plants), since the smell is very mild, doesn't resemble that of a joint or bong, and doesn't travel far. Be careful though!

There is no fire involved. Long-haired people will no longer burn their hair trying to light their joint or bong. Other fire hazards are also eliminated.

Enjoy the natural aroma of the non-burnt plant. Though some herbs smell great when burnt (which is why unlit incense sticks smell so different from the smoke they produce), many people prefer the natural aroma of the plant itself.

No more tobacco. Though a joint may indeed be an efficient way of administering cannabis, it is usually made with tobacco (which keeps the joint burning, so you don't need to relight it all the time). A good vaporizer is even more efficient than a joint, so you really don't need the highly addictive and toxic tobacco-filling anymore.